


Believer & the Non-Believer

by CuriosityKilledKat



Category: Asking Alexandria, Hey Monday, Jahmene Douglas - Fandom, James Arthur - Fandom, Memphis May Fire, Paramore, Sleeping With Sirens, Tonight Alive, We Are The In Crowd (Band)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24299257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriosityKilledKat/pseuds/CuriosityKilledKat
Summary: What happens when one who believes in god and one who once did clash?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> In absolutely no way am I bashing anyone for their belief in god. This was simply I story that I started writing after the idea popped into my head. I mean absolutely no disrespect to any of the artists I used as characters in this story for their beliefs.

_ "Human beings in a mob _

_ What's a mob to a king?  _

_ What's a king to a God? _

_ What's a God to a non-believer who don't believe in anything? _

_ Will he make it out alive?  _

_ Alright, alright, no church in the wild" _

_ & _

_ "Who is that?" The ginger little eight year old asks his friends as they run rampant on the playground. _

_ "I don't know. I think she's the new girl." The shortest out of the five answers as he kicks the ball. _

_ - _

_ "Her name is Juliet Arthur. She's Justin's cousin. She just moved here with her brother." The tallest out of the five boys says sitting down in gym the next day. _

_ "How do you know?" The ginger boy inquires. _

_ "I went with him and we asked her." The lankiest out of the five states.  _

_ - _

_ "Why do you have such a problem with her not believing Matty? You're ten so why does it matter?" The fluffy haired boy questions. _

_ "Because I do Jake. I just don't like it." Matty answers. _

_ "For someone who says they don't judge people, you sure do judge her." The shortest out of the five boys declares. _

_ "Have you ever even talked to her?" The tallest out of the five boys challenges. _

_ "So what Anthony. No I haven't Cory. But I don't want to." _

_ "That's just rude Matty." The lankiest out of the five boys verbalizes. _

_ "Shut up Kellen." Matty utters as he glares at the girl across the yard at recess. _

_ - _

_ Two years later as a prepubescent twelve year old, Matty’s opinion hadn’t changed or swayed in the slightest towards Juliet. He just finds something about her off other than her non-belief and doesn't question it equal to the way his friends do. By this point they don't bother saying much of anything unless Matty makes a comment that annoys them. He knows that Anthony and Cory have become friends with her and he just purses his lips not saying a word.  _

_ - _

_ Go ahead another two years as a fourteen year old, Matty's friends have given up saying anything in regards to Juliet because they know his opinion won't change. They just continue thinking he's a dunce when he's never said anything to Juliet ever. Matty knows that Anthony and Cory have become best friends with Juliet within the past two years and finds himself tuning them out whenever they start talking about Juliet. For Cory it's because him and Juliet are both friends with Jesse and share a passion for music. For Anthony he knows it's because they both have a love for comic books after running into each other at the comic book store countless times. Matty also thinks that Anthony had mentioned something about them both getting a job at the comic book store but he's not sure and doesn't care.  _

_ - _

_ Fast forward to the ripe age of sixteen and you can see before your eyes that Matty’s opinion finally changes. It all transpires from one simple encounter before school that then unfolds even further after school. Through this he finds out that his sister is best friends with Juliet’s brother as they go to university together. Through this encounter and information Matty finds himself finally curious to figure out what  _ **_is_ ** _ Juliet's deal. He even finds himself falling for her despite his vow not to. Juliet doesn't fall but finds herself giving Matty a chance because she decides that it's time he realizes that his judgments were wrong. And maybe if she changes that she can find herself falling for Matty.  _


	2. End of Judgment Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matty learns something that makes him rethink the way he's treated Juliet

Juliet walked onto the school grounds with Justin like every day, though she wished she wasn’t currently. Justin was still fretting over her like he had the previous night when she’d come home from work. Her shirt that featured Muhammad Ali was short sleeved so it did nothing to hide the bruises and cuts on her arms and hands. Her blue jeans and black Doc Martens did hide the mess that was also on her legs. Even if she was wearing a hoodie, it still wouldn’t hide the bruises and cuts on her face and neck. 

Jesse, one of their friends, happened to look up from his open notebook and did a double take when he saw Juliet next to Justin. His eyes widened considerably before he slammed his notebook shut and ran to the two. immediately Juliet was rolling her eyes as Jesse began fretting over her similar to Justin the previous night.

A distance away Kellen, Anthony, Cory, Jake, and Matty were standing stalking before heading into the building for a day of boredom. They all looked over when they saw Jesse running towards Juliet and Justin. 

"Holy shit! I wonder what happened." Kellen voices as he looks at Juliet in shock.

"Probably something illegal." Matty comments, not caring.

"That was uncalled for." Anthony and Cory say in unison glaring.

"Cory! Anthony!" Juliet calls as her, Justin, and Jesse approach the group of five boys.

"Juliet!" The boys both utter after hugging her when she’s approached them.

"Kellen and Jake right?" Juliet asks looking at the two other boys, ignoring Matty's presence altogether.

"Yeah. I'm Jake and he's Kellen." Jake says and timidly goes in for a hug that Juliet happily reciprocates and does the same with Kellen.

"Juliet, are you okay? What happened?" Anthony inquires as him and Cory try restraining themselves from fretting over her similar to how Jesse had minutes ago.

"I'll be fine. Just a little mishap." Juliet states waving it off like it's nothing.

"Little mishap my ass." Justin snorts.

"Shut up. I don't need everyone fretting over me." Juliet remarks, shooting her cousin an annoyed look.

Everyone turns to look at Matty as he scoffs at Juliet’s comment. Juliet's gaze locks onto him as he stares right back at her. His outside demeanor shows nothing but a calm aura but on the inside, he’s terrified by the look Juliet shoots him.

"What is your problem?" Juliet demands with clenched fists.

"You." Matty simply responds.

"I know that. Why though? You've been cold and a bastard towards me for 8 years. We've exchanged no words with each other but you seem to have this massive problem with me. So once again, what the fuck is your problem?" Juliet demands absolutely fuming.

"Fine you want an answer, I'll give you one. First it was just the fact that you're a non-believer. I still have that issue with you but you still irk me the wrong way. I don't know what exactly it is but I don't really care." Matty says shrugging.

"You are one fucking stupid bastard. Not everyone is going to believe in that shit. You know nothing about me other than the fact that I don't believe in fucking god. Don't act like you know me and don't bother getting to know me. I have my reasons for not believing just like you have your reasons for believing." Juliet flares as she pokes Matty in the chest hard.

"Probably because you're too worthless to waste his time with so you don't believe." Matty says shocking and infuriating everyone.

"Stay the fuck away from me. You. Don't. Know. A. Fucking. Thing. About. Me. Next time you won't be so lucky to still be standing. You'll either be trying to stay conscious in the hospital or buried so far down you might as well crawl into hell." Juliet seethes, poking Matty's chest harder and harder with every word said.

Juliet stalks off inside with Jesse and Justin following behind while throwing glares back at Matty. Kellen and Jake stand there in shock while glaring at their best friend who they feel as if they don’t really know anymore. Cory and Anthony are trying everything they can to not pounce and destroy Matty right on the spot as they stand there absolutely seething with actually knowing Juliet's past being her best friends.

"Fuck you Matty. Fuck you." Cory seethes as he stands there with steam basically pouring out of his ears.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! I work at the comic book store with Juliet. I actually know her. You know nothing Matty. If you knew her like me and Cory did you'd know why she doesn’t believe. Basing your dislike for her mostly on the fact that she doesn't believe is pure bullshit. Fuck you and just fuck off." Anthony seethes with steam pouring out of his ears and nose giving one the image of an angry bull from a cartoon.

Anthony and Cory stalk off after Juliet, Justin, and Jesse done with Matty’s bullshit towards Juliet. Matty turns to Kellen and Jake who don't utter a word to him as they glare seemingly not knowing the boy that stands before them. To them it’s almost as if he’s just another kid they’ve gone to school with since kindergarten instead of someone they’ve been best friends with since they were three year olds running rampant on the playground. Matty just sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose and heads inside as students trickle inside for the start of the school day that he knows will be a long and frustrating one now. He can feel their glares burning into the back of his head and he continues his way in knowing that at the moment they're the only two he's got. But he doesn't regret anything he said at all.

-

Matty stands off from the school gate with Kellen and Jake who are still talking to him but just barely. Closer to the gate Anthony and Cory are standing with Jesse, Justin, Justin's mates Gabe, Jake, and Kellin and Juliet herself who are all just talking. He knew that even if they were talking to him at the moment he wouldn't see them tonight as there's a boxing match tonight for the girls team meaning they’d be cheering on Juliet. He watches as two guys that look to be in university head towards the group and sees Juliet's face light up when she notices the one that he thinks looks a bit like her.

"JAMES!" Juliet screeches as she sees her brother.

"Juliet." James says chuckling as his little sister comes running up to him and wraps herself around him.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" Juliet asks when James has pulled her back to see her face.

"We didn't have class and you've got your match tonight so we figured we'd come and watch." James says smiling.

"We?" Juliet asks before she hears the chuckling from next to her brother. "Jahmene!" Juliet yells when she sees her brother’s best friend.

"Juliet." Jahmene says laughing as he watches her detach herself from her brother and attaches herself to him this time.

After the group is done greeting each other and Juliet has stopped being an octopus to the two guys is when they notice the many bruises and cuts grazing her exposed flesh.

"Juliet what happened?" James asks in a demanding tone as he begins to fret over his little sister.

"I got jumped." Juliet says dejectedly.

Matty, Kellen, and Jake who are close enough that they can hear the conversation all gasp in shock. Their mouths drop open and Matty can feel the regret beginning to build up inside at what he said this morning.

"Jumped?! What the fuck happened?!" James demands as he stares at Juliet.

"The guys are in worse shape than me, James." Juliet says feeling suddenly shy and awkward.

"GUYS?! How many people jumped you?!" James fumes growing more and more pissed off that someone had harmed his precious little sister.

"Four. On my way home from work last night." Juliet says quietly, she’d be lucky if anyone even heard her.

"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me?" Anthony asks feeling hurt considering they'd both worked together last night.

"I told you guys I got jumped." Juliet says shrugging her shoulders as if what happened to her was nothing.

"Juliet." James warns.

"I don't know what they really wanted because it happened so fast. All I know is I was walking home and then four guys are on me. Trust me though they're in worse shape. Two are in critical condition and the other two needed surgery. I'm fine now." Juliet says as she plays with her fingers not making eye contact with James. 

"Yeah after you came home and freaked the hell out of me. When I got her to the hospital I thought mum was going to have a heart attack." Justin says looking his cousin in the eyes.

"Freaking out dude? We thought you were going to pass out or something from your freak out when we got to the hospital after you called us." Kellin says.

"Should you even be boxing tonight then?" Jahmene asks.

"She was cheering and dancing when she got cleared for it in the hospital." Jake says.

"Fine but next time tell me immediately so I don't find out later on." James says hugging Juliet again.

"Yeah I will. There's pretty much nothing I hide from my big brother." Juliet says smiling and hugging James.

"On a more cheerful note Juliet is definitely going to win her matches tonight." Jesse states smirking.

"Really? Been training even harder then?" James asks.

"No she got extremely pissed off this morning.” Gabe says.

"I'm assuming you didn't hurt them then considering you're still in your matches tonight."

"Mullins." Juliet spits with venom.

"Gemma's brother?" Jahmene asks.

"Yeah he pissed her off, me, Anthony and basically everyone that was in the group this morning." Cory says.

"Sometimes I wonder how she's related to him. I mean she's amazing and not judgmental or a bastard." Juliet spits not understanding how the two Mullins kids had come from the same woman.

"Well you can tell Gemma that tonight then." James says, shaking his head smiling.

"She's coming tonight? Doesn't she have class too?"

"Yeah she's coming down after her class so she should actually be here about an hour before your match tonight."

Juliet just smiles happy. Matty stands there confused because he never knew that Gemma knew Juliet or her brother. He knew that she had two best friends at university called James and Jahmene that he'd never met. He now knows who they are and there's a chance they'll hurt him because of what he said to Juliet. But from what it sounds like, his own sister will be after him as well. He just sighs and turns to look at Kellen and Jake. They're still watching the group and he can see the burning interest in their eyes that probably matches his own that is building.

"We're going to the match. I have some apologizing to do." Matty says running his hand through his quiff.

"So how about we go hang out until your match and dispel this gloomy mood? I could definitely use a more cheerful atmosphere." James says.

"You my brother are correct. Let's go." Juliet says as she jumps on her brother's back and the group heads off the school grounds.

The three boys stand there still watching as the group walks off. Soon enough Kellen and Jake mutter their goodbyes before leaving Matty standing there by himself. He sighs as he runs his hand through his hair again hoping that he can be forgiven for the shit he’s given Juliet for the past 8 years and what he said this morning to her. He lets out a heavy breath of air as he shoves his hands in his pockets walking home and trying to think of what he’s going to say so he doesn’t fuck up anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'd recommend listening to james arthur's 'you're nobody 'til somebody loves you'

**Author's Note:**

> this was written a couple of years ago. i don't even remember when, but it initially had been one direction before i left the fandom and then changed it to memphis may fire for whatever reason, i don't remember what it was. i never finished it but as i want to post my older stories on here i want to complete this one. so there may be more sporadic updates than some of my other stories as this is one of the few that isn't finished. though i do have several chapters already written that need to be edited. i recommend listening to kanye west's 'no church in the wild' while reading. just about every chapter was written based on a song; almost all being memphis may fire songs.


End file.
